For recent college graduates, perhaps the most challenging aspect of entering adult life is obtaining a quality job that pertains to their degree.
For students and grads, the University’s Career Services provides information that will assist students and alumni in reaching their desired career objectives. Career Services prepares students for the job market by teaching them resume tips, interviewing skills, and job search strategies.
William Hill, Assistant Dean of Career Services, noted that upon graduation, University alumni have been successfully acquiring jobs, despite the inherent challenges of entering the job market.
“Past surveys of University graduates with data collected between six and nine months after graduation indicate that a very small percentage of grads are still seeking full-time employment. By that time, most grads have found jobs or are planning to go to graduate or professional school,” said Hill. “Monmouth graduates face the same challenge as any other college grad in the workforce, in particular competition with graduates and alumni from other schools and a less than robust national and state economy.”
With so many people applying for jobs after graduating, students need certain attributes that separate them from the other applicants.
According to Ellen Reilly, Job Placement Director of Career Services, students must recognize the difficulties of acquiring a job and therefore work to improve their likelihood of getting noticed by employers.
“The greatest challenge is the competition and understanding that the job search is a job in itself,” said Reilly. “All candidates need to make themselves stand out from the crowd and be able to communicate their knowledge, strengths and competencies. Growing and maximizing your network is a priority, as 70 -80 percent of opportunities are found through networking.”
According to the University’s May 2014 Commencement Survey, 57 percent of graduates with jobs earned less than $40,000, 33 percent earned between $40,000 and $60,000, and 10 percent earned more than $60,000.
Anthony Branco, a spring 2015 graduate of the Business Department’s five year Master’s program, has acquired a marketing job at Vitals, a doctor review and ratings service. The website offers patient reviews for doctors, enabling prospective patients to research the doctor beforehand and give feedback afterward. As marketing manager, Branco oversees trade shows, runs email and marketing campaigns, and supports the sales team. Branco attributed much of his success to the University’s Career Services.
“The MU career center helped me get a good internship that gave me the experience I needed to get this job,” said Branco.
Branco, like many students, admitted that internships are a major part of his success, as they provide valuable experience and skills that will translate to the real world job market. Hill notes that this is just one of many benefits that Career Services offers.
“Because of Monmouth’s Experiential Education requirement, all of our graduates have fulfilled an internship, field experience or some other requirement related to their major. This makes them highly competitive,” said Hill. “Also, I have found that most students I advise are flexible in terms of work location, starting salary and the type of job they are seeking.”
Additionally, Jesse Arrieta, a fall 2014 Health Studies graduate, has also acquired a job. Arrieta is a pharmaceutical project coordinator for Johnson & Johnson. Arrieta noted that many of his job skills can be attributed to the services offered by the University.
“Monmouth prepared for the job market by equipping me with the proper training on how to be marketable to companies,” said Arrieta. “Monmouth helped me gain confidence in myself and use my great education to connect on a professional level with recruiters.”
Reilly noted that Career Services specifically focuses on each student, as everyone’s job search is different. Therefore, many aspects of Career Services work to help each individual student.
Career Services provides a personalized approach to working with each student, and to provide a foundation and toolkit for career success. This foundation includes many resources which provide career development and connections to employers,” said Reilly. “Career Services hosts numerous events throughout the year, including recruiting and networking events, in addition to workshops which will teach critical skills. Preparation is key and Career Services is equipped with a team to help all students put their best foot forward.”
Hill noted that it would be beneficial for all students MU students to attend the Fall Career Day on Wednesday, November 4th from 12:30 to 4:00pm in the Multipurpose Activity Center (MAC).
“This event is an excellent way for students to network with employers, and find out about full-time and internship opportunities. We expect over 100 employers from a variety of career fields to be present,” said Hill.